twice as productive
DESCRIPTION
Earlier this year, we surveyed 700 contractors, permanent employees and employers across a broad range of sectors and industries in the UK & Ireland, to get a 360° perspective on the differing thoughts and behaviours of the two kinds of workers..TRANSCRIPT
TWICE AS PRODUCTIVE ON
AN AVERAGE DAY*?
We asked employers, permanent, and contract
staff the same questions – with fascinating results!
*Twice as many employers believe a contractor is more productive on an average day than a permanent member of staff.
“I’m AS GOOD AS mY lAST jOb – SO IT kEEPS mE ON mY TOES.”
“I WORk bEST WhEN I fEEl SECURE.”
“I USE CONTRACTORS fOR ThE SkIllS AND kNOWlEDGE-bASE ThEY bRING fROm OThER ROlES AND SECTORS.”
CONTRACTOR
PERmANENT EmPlOYEE
EmPlOYER
INTRODUCTION DEfINITIONS EXECUTIVE SUmmARY ENGAGEmENT lOYAlTY PRODUCTIVITY EmPlOYERS: SPEAkING fROm EXPERIENCEINSIDER INSIGhTS CONClUSION AbOUT ThIS RESEARCh
4568
101214 161819
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTIONPERmANENT
OR CONTRACT STAff? A 360° PERSPECTIVE.
Almost one and half million people,
that’s 4.6%* of the Uk workforce, are
freelancers and contractors. What
motivates them? Are they significantly
different from their permanent
counterparts? how productive do the
workers in each group believe they are?
how loyal, and how engaged are they with
the organisations they work for? Given
that a contractor’s involvement is typically
time-limited, and a permanent employee’s
is open-ended, there are bound to be
differences. but just how marked are they?
We decided to find out.
There’s been some research in this field,
but virtually nothing that’s included the
employer perspective. We wanted a 360°
standpoint. So we posed essentially the
same questions to all three interested
parties: contractors, permanent staff and
employers. The results proved fascinating.
REVEALING DISCONNECT
Probably most revealing was the
disconnect between how permanent and
contract workers see themselves and
how employers see them. Topics such
as contractor loyalty make compelling
reading: Contractors regard themselves
as very loyal to the organisations they
work for, however short the period. Yet
employers continue to regard permanent
staff as significantly more loyal.
of quality contractor staff to business
performance, in context it also confirms
the significance of the recruitment partner
role in navigating the new legislation
successfully on their clients’ behalf.
* Source: freelancer and Contractor Services
Association (fCSA) march 2011.
We went on to ask employers about their
criteria for hiring contractors. They could
select from a choice of options but many
elected to go further and give us feedback
in their own words. It’s all here.
Next we asked workers, both contract and
permanent, to give us their ‘insider take’
on the workplace. Are contractors flighty
and disengaged, always on the look out for
their next project? Are permanent staff too
caught up in the seething hotbed of office
politics to get any work done? We’ve got
the answers.
THE ‘PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT’ AFFECTS ALL WORKERS
What this survey reveals with startling
clarity goes to the heart of what’s called
The Psychological Contract. That’s the
unspoken contract that includes all the
assumptions and unvoiced expectations
that exist between employer and
employee. Informal, undocumented, and
intangible by definition, these findings
demonstrate that it continues to set the
agenda between employer and workers,
whether permanent or contract.
The research is timely since some
employers may be concerned about
the impact of the 2010 Agency Worker
Regulations (AWR) on their contractor
responsibilities. The survey not only
demonstrates conclusively the value-add
TWICE AS PRODUCTIVE ON AN AVERAGE DAY?
ContraCtor
Also known as interims, day raters
or freelancers, the contract workers
referred to in this report are primarily
middle to senior level professionals.
All work for a management company
or recruitment agency rather than
negotiating terms directly with
employers.
EngagEmEnt
The level of involvement,
enthusiasm and attachment an
employee or worker has towards
an organisation and its goals, all
of which ultimately affects their
performance.
LoyaLty
A strong feeling of support or
allegiance.
ProduCtivity
The quality and speed of an
individual’s work.
PsyChoLogiCaL ContraCt
The expectations held by both
employer and employee that exist
over and above the written contract
of employment between them.
Understanding the informal and
often unvoiced assumptions on both
sides can optimise individual and
organisational performance.
DEfINITIONS
Certain words and phrases
recur throughout this research.
in the interests of clarity we’ve
set out our interpretation of the
terms below.
What do we mean by…
5
THE
HEA
DLI
NE
THE
STA
TIS
TIC
STH
E S
TATI
STI
CS
AbOuT ENGAGEmENT
AbOuT ENGAGEmENT
AbOuT LOYALTY
AbOuT LOYALTY
Contractors are more likely to
be engaged in their role than
permanent employees.
In job content, financial reward and
social atmosphere (the workplace
factors both groups said were
most important to them) there
was no significant statistical
difference between contractors
and permanent staff.
37.2% of employers believe
permanent staff are more likely
to be disengaged in their current
role. 33.2% think non-permanent
staff would be more disengaged
and 19.1% say both would be
equally disengaged.
Page 8
Permanent staff are far more
loyal than contract workers.
77.6% of contractors and
86.6% of permanent staff
agree or strongly agree that
they are loyal employees.
77.5% of employers said that
permanent staff were most
loyal to their organisation,
with only 2.1% favouring
non-permanent staff.
Page10
AbOuT PRODuCTIVITY
AbOuT PRODuCTIVITY
Twice as many employers
believe a contractor is more
productive on an average day
than a permanent employee.
90.8% of contractors and
86.3% of permanent staff
agree or strongly agree that
they deliver a high level of
output (volume and quality).
14.1% of employers think
permanent staff are the most
productive, 28.3% favour
contract staff, while 52.6% hold
that both groups are equally
productive.
Page12
EXECUTIVE SUmmARY Of fINDINGS
This research shines a revealing light
on the gap between what employers
think of their staff, both permanent and
contract workers, and what those workers
think of themselves. Equally important it
demonstrates what each group values
most in the workplace.
We’ve represented it more as an executive
snapshot than an executive summary, so
that you can see at a glance some of our
most interesting findings. We’ve included
page numbers so it’s easy to find out more.
WhAT EmPlOYERS ThINk…
WhAT CONTRACTORS AND PERmANENT STAff ThINk…
PERmANENT STAFF
PERmANENT STAFF Important or highly important
WHO SCORES HIGHEST?
IN THE WORKPLACE, HOW ImPORTANT TO YOu IS…
CONTRACTORS
CONTRACTORS Important or highly important
A higher income would motivate
me to work harder
job content?
If offered, I’d accept a role with
better job content for less money
financial reward?
I would leave my permanent job
or contract before completion for
a significant pay rise
I would leave my permanent job
or contract before completion
because of lack of work to be
done
I get involved in social situations/
events at work
Social atmosphere?
GO TO PAGE…
GO TO PAGE…
13
899% 98.1%
11
894.6% 93.2%
17
17
16
875% 73.1%
It’s out with the stereotypes and in with a refreshing new take on what makes a mixed workforce tick.
most telling of all perhaps is the number of striking similarities between permanent employees and their contractor counterparts.
COUNTER-INTUITIVE?
mORE AlIkE ThAN UNAlIkE
7
WHO IS mORE LIKELY TO bE DISENGAGED WITH THEIR CuRRENT ROLE?
Contractors
both equally
Perm staff
I don’t know
ENGAGEmENTIT’S A PRETTY ClOSE CAll, bUT EmPlOYERS ThINk PERmANENT STAff ARE lESS lIkElY TO bE ENGAGED WITh ThEIR WORk.
It’s revealing that most employers believe
permanent staff are more likely to be
disengaged in their current role (37.2
per cent) than non-permanent staff
(33.2 per cent), with 19.1 per cent of
employers believing both would be equally
disengaged.
just what is engagement and why is it so
desirable? We’ve summed up engagement
as ‘the level of involvement, enthusiasm
and attachment an employee or worker
has towards an organisation and its
goals, all of which ultimately affects their
performance’. In short engaged employees
care passionately about their work. It
follows that developing and maintaining
a workforce dynamic that promotes
employee engagement is key to an
organisation’s success.
So what makes for an engaged worker,
whether contract or permanent?
A SuCCESSFuL PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT
Take a look at the bar charts on the
right. You’ll see that we set employers,
contractors and permanent staff seven
different questions approached from
slightly different angles.
We asked employers which type of
employee expects the most from them,
covering factors ranging from job content
to work/life balance. Then we asked our
two groups of workers to rate the same
factors.
EmPlOYERS, WhERE ThEY mADE
A DIffERENTIATION, fElT ThAT
PERmANENT WORkERS hAD fAR
hIGhER EXPECTATIONS Of ThEm.
Yet the figures demonstrate that in all
the elements that combine to create the
psychological contract, contract workers’
expectations and involvement have a great
deal more in common with their permanent
counterparts than employers currently
believe.
The key to engagement appears to be
involvement. Which perhaps makes sense
of one of the most interesting findings in
this area: the importance workers from
both groups place on social atmosphere in
the workplace.
Since it’s pretty impossible to work
effectively in a strained atmosphere,
you could speculate that a relaxed and
sociable environment is the product of
a successful psychological contract. Is a
happy workplace the last, and possibly
most important, piece of the jigsaw?
33.2%
37.2%
19.1%
10.5%
TWICE AS PRODUCTIVE ON AN AVERAGE DAY?
Contractors both equally
Perm staff I don’t know
360° ObSERVATION: SAmE qUESTIONS, DIffERENT fINDINGS.
Of those employers that favoured one
group over the other, many more believed
that job content would be of significant
importance to permanent staff.
Now for the true picture. Our research
revealed that how they spent their
working hours was hugely important
to both groups. Of those rating job
content as important or highly important
there is less than a percentage point
between contractors at 98.1 per cent and
permanent staff at 99 per cent.
SOCIAL ANImALS
Intriguingly, and no doubt of great interest
to employers, is the finding that over
half the respondents in both groups
rated social atmosphere very highly. The
workplace vibe is only topped by financial
rewards and job content for the majority of
workers.
EmPlOYER PERCEPTIONS
STAff CONVICTIONS
WHICH TYPE OF EmPLOYEE EXPECTS THE mOST FROm THEIR EmPLOYER?
HOW ImPORTANT IS IT THAT YOuR WORKPLACE PROVIDES YOu WITH…?
Career development
Job content Social atmosphere
Job securityTraining Work-life balanceFinancial rewards
0%10%
50%
30%
70%
90%
20%
60%
40%
80%
100%
1 - Not important
3 - Important
2 - Indifferent
4 - Highly Important
Contractors
Perm staff
Career development
1 1 1 11 1 12 2 2 22 2 24 4 4 44 4 43 3 3 33 3 3
Job content Financial rewardsTraining Work-life balanceSocial atmosphere Job security
0%
10%
50%
30%
20%
60%
40%
70%
9
lOYAlTYIN EmPlOYERS’ EYES PERmANENT STAff ARE fIRm fAVOURITES IN ThE lOYAlTY STAkES.
What makes someone loyal to an
organisation? Is it length of service, plus
the value of their benefits package? Or is
it something far less tangible? how much
do professionalism and a desire to belong
come into play?
Our research reveals that while over
three quarters of contract staff think of
themselves as loyal, employers seriously
underestimate their allegiance to the
organisation.
When asked about loyalty, 77.5 per cent of
employer respondents said that permanent
staff were most loyal to their organisation,
with 2.1 per cent favouring non-permanent
staff and a not unsizeable 20.4 per
cent believing there is no difference or
remaining unsure.
however the view from the coalface is
more complex and likely to give employees
food for thought.
OVER THREE QuARTERS OF CONTRACTORS THINK THEY ARE LOYAL
In a fascinating correlation, 77.6 per cent
of contractors either agree or strongly
agree that they are loyal employees. (This
against the 77.5 per cent of employer
respondents who say permanent staff
are most loyal.) Unsurprisingly perhaps,
86.6 per cent of permanent staff either
agree or strongly agree that they are loyal
employees.
WHO IS mORE LOYAL TO YOuR ORGANISATION?
Contractors
both equally
Perm staff
I don’t know
EmPlOYER PERCEPTION
77.5%
17%
2.1%3.4%
TWICE AS PRODUCTIVE ON AN AVERAGE DAY?
IF YOuR DREAm JOb CAmE ALONG
When asked if they would go permanent
for the right role, 70.9 per cent of contract
workers said they would. Perhaps as
contractors, they are uniquely placed to
identify the best permanent opportunities.
Only a minority (41.6 per cent) of long-
term staff would leave the familiar shores
of permanent employment to contract,
even for a very tempting assignment.
In post-recessionary times it appears
that permanent and contract staff alike
appreciate the value of a fulfilling and
secure role.
Delving a little deeper, both groups of
workers scored highly on their dedication
to pro-actively improve their work skills.
Well over half of the contract workers
questioned had paid for their own training
and/or professional development at least
once in the last three years. Permanent
workers weren’t far behind.
Interestingly, when permanent and
contractor staff were asked whether they
had a strong emotional connection to
their colleagues, their responses were
remarkably similar. The majority - an
almost identical number - had no marked
feelings either way. When asked the
same question in relation to their current
employer, permanent employees were only
5.6 per cent more likely to feel a strong
connection to their current employer.
bETTER JOb CONTENT buT LESS mONEY?
Are contractors more interested in
financial factors than permanent staff? It
seems not. Our figures show that they are
10 per cent more likely to accept a role
with better job content but less money
than their permanent counterparts.
ThE fUll STORY
WORKWISE – WHAT mAKES YOu TICK?
1 - Strongly disagree
3 - Neither agree nor disagree
2 - Disagree
4 - Agree
5 - Strongly agree
Contractors
Perm staff
I would change from being permanent to non-permanent for the right role, or vice versa
1 1 1 12 2 2 24 4 4 43 3 3 35 5 5 5
my role regularly presents me with new challenges
I feel secure about the future of my career
I would get faster career progression by changing companies
0%
10%
50%
30%
20%
60%
40%
I have a strong emotional connection to my colleagues
1 1 1 1 1 1 12 2 2 2 2 2 24 4 4 4 4 4 43 3 3 3 3 3 35 5 5 5 5 5 5
I have a strong emotional connection to the company I currently work for
I have paid for my own training/professional development at least once in the last three years
I proactively find ways to improve my work skills
If another organisation offered me a role with better job content for less money, I would change companies
I am a loyal employee
I would recommend that friends/family work for my current organisation
0%
10%
50%
30%
20%
80%
70%
60%
40%
11
WHO IS mORE LIKELY TO HIT THE GROuND RuNNING?
PRODUCTIVITYTWICE AS mANY EmPlOYERS bElIEVE A CONTRACTOR IS mORE PRODUCTIVE ON AN AVERAGE DAY ThAN A PERmANENT mEmbER Of STAff.
CONTRACTORS ‘NEED LESS CuDDLING’
As one employer eloquently
put it, ‘Contractors need
less cuddling’! The view that
contractors are work-ready from
day one is widely shared amongst
employers. A massive 48.7 per
cent told us that contractors
were most likely to hit the ground
running. Only 13.6 per cent
favoured permanent staff in this
respect.
14.1 per cent of employers think their
permanent staff are the most productive,
whereas more than double that number,
28.3 per cent, believe non-permanent staff
are more productive. A fascinating finding.
however the majority of employers, 52.6
per cent, hold that both groups are equally
productive.
WHO IS mORE PRODuCTIVE ON AN AVERAGE DAY?
52.6%
28.3%
14.1%
5% 5.2%
48.7%
13.6%
32.5%
Contractors both equally
Perm staff I don’t know
TWICE AS PRODUCTIVE ON AN AVERAGE DAY?
So we’ve seen that twice as many
employers believe that contract
workers are more productive. but are
these perceptions borne out by direct
questioning of the groups themselves? Not
exactly. Permanent staff rate themselves
more highly it seems, than their bosses.
While 90.8 per cent of contractors agree
or strongly agree that they deliver a high
level of output in terms of both volume and
quality, permanent staff are hot on their
heels at 86.3 per cent. Non-statistically
speaking, the results are pretty close.
Surely money is a greater motivator
for contractors than their permanent
equivalents? Not so, it seems. 51.2 per
cent of contract workers agree or strongly
agree that a higher income would motivate
them to work harder. but at 56.8 per cent,
permanent employees outstrip them in
prioritising financial reward.
Could it be that boredom has a direct link
to productivity? None that’s immediately
obvious. At 22.3 per cent and 21.9 per
cent respectively, there was virtually no
difference between the contractors and
the permanent staff who confessed to
being bored. The same applies to the
far lower, but almost equal numbers
who declared themselves thoroughly
unproductive – a reassuringly low 3.4 per
cent for contractors and 3.2 per cent for
permanent staff.
So it would appear that permanent and
contract workers are a lot more alike in
terms of productivity and motivation than
employers believe.
ThE fUll STORY
1 - Strongly disagree
3 - Neither agree nor disagree
2 - Disagree
4 - Agree
5 - Strongly agree
Contractors
Perm staff
HOW PRODuCTIVE ARE YOu?
I deliver high level output (in volume and quality)
1 1 12 2 24 4 43 3 35 5 5
A higher income would give me motivation to work harder
I prefer to work independently than in group situations
0%
10%
50%
30%
20%
60%
40%
HOW bORED ARE YOu?
I am easily bored in my current role
1 2 43 50%
10%
50%
30%
20%
60%
40%
13
HIGH QuALITY TRANSFERAbLE SKILLS
Employers, it’s clear, think highly of
contract workers, regarding them
as an essential element of the
hR mix. less than a per centage
point below the obvious ‘flexibility’,
70.2 per cent of employers value
contractors for the immediately
applicable transferable skills
they bring to the workplace. In
written feedback, expressions like
‘results-orientated’, ‘experienced
professionals’ and ‘able to hit the
ground running’ were recurrent
themes.
SPECIALIST HORSEPOWER AT CRITICAL TImES
One of the big advantages of
hiring non-permanent staff, said
42.9 per cent of employers,
was the potential speed of hire
and market responsiveness.
Contractors, they told us, bring
quality additional specialist
horsepower at critical times and
can be relied upon to speed up
momentum on specific projects.
EmPlOYERS: SPEAkING fROm EXPERIENCE...
WHERE CONTRACTORS STAND OuT
Flex
ibilit
y
Onl
y th
e ho
urs
actu
ally
wor
ked
are
paid
for
They
hav
e no
impa
ct
on h
eadc
ount
The
pote
ntia
l spe
ed
of h
ire/m
arke
t re
spon
sive
ness
Cov
erag
e of
ski
lls g
ap -
tem
ps
prov
ide
acce
ss to
exp
ertis
e on
ly fo
r th
e lim
ited
time
that
it’s
nee
ded
No
requ
irem
ent t
o pr
ovid
e be
nefit
s, e
.g. s
ick
pay,
pens
ion
(unt
il O
ctob
er 2
011
for P
AYE
and
um
brel
la)
Oth
er
0%10%
50%
30%
70%
20%
60%
40%
80%
TWICE AS PRODUCTIVE ON AN AVERAGE DAY?
We asked employers to tell us in their
own words what they regarded as the
key benefit of using contractors. here’s a
snapshot of the most revealing responses.
WhY DO I USE CONTRACT WORkERS?
“TO ESTAblISh WhEThER ThERE’S A NEED fOR ThE ROlE lONG TERm.”
“They have a wide range of
experience and proactively keep
their skills up to date.”
“Task focused, not drawn into office
politics.”
“A wider portfolio of skills and
experience than the average
employee, with exposure to
operating at a level higher than they
are contracted to.”
“Need less cuddling! So I have more
time.”
“I get better skills for my money.”
“I like the entrepreneurial mindset
that contractors bring to my business.”
15
INSIDER INSIGhTS
ThE lOW DOWN ON OffICE
POlITICS
Employers have even stronger opinions
when it comes to office politics. just one
per cent of them felt that contractors were
more likely to be water cooler conspirators.
Permanent staff top the ratings with
a massive 78.7 per cent of employers
branding them as major political players.
just 17 per cent believe contractors and
permanent staff are equally to blame.
And the true story? Will we ever know?
Despite guaranteed anonymity only 12.6
per cent of permanent staff admit to
politicking and not one respondent would
‘strongly agree’ to finding themselves
drawn into office politics. Contractor
numbers are even sparser, with just 9.7 per
cent registering a guilty plea.
Contractors
both equally
Perm staff
I don’t know
EmPLOYERS
78.7%
17%
1%3.3%
PERmANENT STAFF CONTRACTORS
0%
33.8%
38.9%
14.7%12.6%
0.5%
21.7%
49.3%
19.3%
9.2%
Strongly disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly agree
TWICE AS PRODUCTIVE ON AN AVERAGE DAY?
WhO’S mORE SOCIAblE?
ShOUlD I STAY OR ShOUlD I GO?
CONTRACTORS PlACE fAR mORE ImPORTANCE ON SOCIAl EVENTS AT WORk ThAN EmPlOYERS bElIEVE.
A categorical 50 per cent of employers
believe permanent staff are more likely
to be involved in, or present at social
events. 41.9 per cent think permanent and
contract workers are equally involved and
just 5.7 per cent view contractors as the
heart and soul of the party.
how wrong they are! In reality contractors
just see off permanent staff on the
sociability stakes – but only just. An
impressive 68 per cent of contractors
enjoy socialising with colleagues, set
against a remarkably similar 67.7 per cent
of permanent workers.
EmPLOYERS
50.9%
5.7%
41.9%
1.5%
PERmANENT STAFF CONTRACTORS
2.2%
59.1%
16.1%
14%8.6%
2.4%
58.4%
18.2%
11.4%9.6%
Strongly disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly agree
WHAT WOuLD INFLuENCE YOu TO LEAVE A PROJECT OR ROLE? WHAT WOuLD CHANGE YOuR mIND?
0%
10%
50%
30%
20%
60%
40%
Contractors
Perm staff
Com
pany
eth
ics
not
in li
ne w
ith m
y va
lues
Sig
nific
ant r
ise
in p
ay
Job
cont
ent i
s no
lo
nger
enj
oyab
le
Ret
entio
n bo
nus
Rol
e is
too
stre
ssfu
l
mor
e fle
xible
wor
king
ar
rang
emen
ts
Fina
ncia
l rem
uner
atio
n is
in
suffi
cien
t
Lack
of c
aree
r pro
gres
sion
op
portu
nitie
s
bet
ter b
enefi
ts
Lack
of a
ctua
l wor
k to
be
done
(idl
e)
New
job
offe
r
Cha
nge
of m
anag
emen
t/le
ader
ship
Rol
e fa
iled
to m
eet
expe
ctat
ions
If I f
elt I
cou
ld n
ot
succ
eed
in th
e ro
le
Prom
otio
n or
cha
nge
of
role
inte
rnal
ly
Grie
vanc
e w
ith d
irect
m
anag
er/te
am
Diffi
cult
inte
rnal
pro
cess
es/
offic
e po
litic
s
Oth
er
Oth
er
Contractors both equally
Perm staff I don’t know
17
CONClUSION
Not all positions are permanent and not all
professionals want to commit themselves
indefinitely, hence the contractor market.
Our employer feedback confirms that
there will always be a place for contractors
alongside permanent staff. more than that,
contract workers are valued and respected
by a wide variety of employers for their
‘can do’ attitude and the speed and quality
of their contribution from day one.
Of course, very different skill sets and
levels of seniority sit under the contractor
label, from advertising account executives
through IT project managers to acting
CEOs.
for those who choose it, the variety, unique
challenges and flexibility of contract work
outweigh the inherent lack of security
that comes from going it alone. Those
who choose to use them can take heart,
contractors emerge from our research as
not only consummate professionals, but
also all-round assets to the workplace.
Perhaps the most revealing aspects of
our survey are those that highlight what
contractors and permanent staff have
in common. both share a commitment
to professionalism and a desire to make
a difference and find meaning in the
workplace, whether their stay is time-
limited or open ended.
far from being ruthless, money driven
loners, we’ve learned that more contractors
than permanent staff
I would leave a position if there wasn’t
enough work for them to do
I would accept a more interesting job for
less money
I want to get involved in the social side
of work.
These are valuable insights for employers
harbouring reservations about contractor
engagement.
AGENCY WORKER REGuLATIONS AND THE SKILLS GAP
Across all sectors and sizes of business,
the contractor requirement is on the
increase. At the same time Agency Worker
Regulations (AWR) have increased
employer obligations in relation to certain
contractor groups. So how can you draw
on flexible talent when you need it, while
meeting your statutory requirements?
The answer is to use a recruitment partner
that’s not only up to speed with the new
regulation, but also offers compliance
management as an integral part of its
proposition.
having incorporated AWR into our
operational framework it’s our view that
employers looking to fill skills and/or
experience gaps can take heart from
this research. The message is that with
the right recruitment partner you can
proceed with confidence, since taking on a
contractor is an excellent way to
I fill skills gaps on time-limited projects
I gauge whether a role warrants a
permanent employee
I tap into experience and working
practices gleaned from other sectors
and/or competitor businesses
I inject new blood into your team without
incurring long term fixed costs.
One in every 20 Uk employees is now a
contractor and the market continues to
grow. To find out more about hudson’s
quality contractor offering, please contact
your dedicated hudson contact.
ThE hUDSON RECOmmENDATION
TWICE AS PRODUCTIVE ON AN AVERAGE DAY?
We surveyed over 700 respondents:
employee contacts, both contract
and permanent, and employer clients.
Respondents were based in England,
Scotland and Ireland and completed the
survey during june and july 2011.
AbOUT ThIS RESEARCh
“TWICE AS PRODUCTIVE ON AN AVERAGE DAY?”
EmPLOYER SECTORS
Advertising/marketing/media
Construction/Property/Engineering
Education
banking/Financial Services/Insurance
FmCG
Healthcare (Public Sector)
Information Technology
manufacturing
Non-profit
Pharmaceutical
Professional Services
Public Sector
Resources
Retail
Telecommunications
Tourism & Hospitality
Transport
utilities
Wholesale/Distribution
Other
2.2%
3.4%
1.9%1.2%
1.9%
0.9%
0.6%1.6%
1.9%
25.1%
7.1%5.3%4.7%
4.7%
5.6%
4%
2.8%
4.3%
14.6% 6.2%
19